[ad_1]
1. A number of occasions throughout this win streak, issues have gone sideways for the Boston Celtics. Within the final two video games, that was poor first halves. As just a few members of the crew have mentioned, the video games towards the Denver Nuggets and Atlanta Hawks are video games the crew would have misplaced earlier within the season.
Not anymore. The Celtics at the moment are punching again. However past punching again, they’re taking full management of the struggle.
Keep in mind when third quarters was a nightmare? This crew is now popping out of the break with a renewed focus. That’s allowed them to show round video games. No extra late-game scrambles simply to make it a contest. That is taking management of the sport and taking part in it on their phrases.
Greater than anything, that’s been the largest change in 2022. The Celtics are taking part in Celtics basketball increasingly usually now. And that’s obtained them successful video games.
2. Issues appear to go effectively when Jayson Tatum will get a simple bucket early in video games. This can be a fairly informal reduce by Tatum, however an ideal go by Marcus Good (extra on him later!):
This play is nice stuff throughout. Good pushes in transition and that permits Tatum to seal the smaller Bogdan Bogdanovic within the paint for the straightforward turnaround hoop:
These days, Tatum is taking part in inside-outside. His ending has been emphatic and powerful. Tatum rejects the display screen and the pullup right here. As a substitute, he places his shoulder into the large man and powers by way of him for the dunk:
(Be aware: Take a look at Derrick White flexing on the finish of the clip. Extra on White later too!)
3. Due to how good he may be offensively; it generally goes neglected that Jayson Tatum is an elite defender. His versatility is as a lot a key to Boston’s switch-everything scheme as another participant. On this play, Tatum is guarding his “pure” cowl and he utterly locks up Danilo Gallinari:
Within the fourth quarter, Tatum will get switched onto Trae Younger. Tatum ought to have gotten credited with a block right here, however the primary level is that he made this an especially tough try for Younger on the rim:
4. Robert Williams may very well be a vacuum with the best way his palms suck within the ball and the way he cleans up messes. Williams’ solely drawback on performs like that is ensuring he occasions it appropriately to not get known as for offensive goaltending:
Typically, it’s nearly Williams placing himself in the precise place on the proper time:
For the season, Williams is as much as 73.2% capturing from the sphere and three.9 offensive rebounds per recreation. Quite a lot of occasions per recreation, he bails the Celtics out when the offense will get a bit wonky.
5. The opposite Williams is taking part in very well too. Grant Williams has turn out to be such a deadeye shooter that groups at the moment are closing out on him laborious. That implies that Williams has to have the ability to take benefit and assault these closeouts. It’s not that Grant is fleet of foot, however he is aware of he can beat Danilo Gallinari off the bounce, and he does so earlier than leaving it for Rob on the rim:
That is one other good drive of a closeout, adopted by Williams going proper into the chest of Clint Capela for the end:
6. Within the third quarter, Marcus Good took full management of the sport. First, he single-handedly induced De’Andre Hunter to choose up 4 fouls in a two-minute span. Then Good was the engine that drove the Celtics assault.
A number of occasions, the printed picked up Good saying “C’mon let’s go!” as he obtained the ball after a cease and pushed in transition. He obtained to the road six occasions himself within the third interval, as Boston outscored Atlanta 42-23 to take management of the sport. He additionally had three of his seven assists throughout this stretch, as he helped to get Jayson Tatum (16 factors within the third) and Jaylen Brown (11 factors within the third) going after the break.
7. Past his third quarter brilliance, Marcus Good overcame a very tough opening couple of minutes to place collectively a strong recreation as soon as once more. He’s performed a wonderful job of discovering Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown on these fast duck-ins for simple hoops:
Good’s drive-and-kick recreation can be on-point proper now:
And when he must, you realize Good goes to ship a type of Good performs that solely he can:
8. The eighth takeaway in the present day is just to acknowledge that the Celtics have gained eight straight video games. That appeared unthinkable in November and December, however because the calendar flipped to 2022, Boston has taken off.
9. Final, however definitely not least, is the latest Celtic becoming in completely. Derrick White has confirmed to be what the Celtics want off the bench. He’s fast, decisive and on the assault. His protection is superb, and his versatility matches in with Boston’s switch-everything scheme.
White can be getting more-open seems to be than he obtained with the Spurs. He simply has to knock them down, like this, to replicated what the Celtics gave up in Josh Richardson:
White can be a greater pure passer than both Richardson or Dennis Schroder. That enables for fast pick-and-rolls like this, as a result of White will put the ball the place it must be:
And White has already realized that when unsure, simply throw it within the basic neighborhood of the rim and let Robert Williams handle the remainder:
10. Some try to excuse away Boston’s present run as solely “beating unhealthy groups”, however that would finish on Tuesday night time. The Celtics will face an actual problem with the Philadelphia 76ers. It’s unknown if James Harden will make his Sixers debut or not, however Joel Embiid will likely be there, and he’s a handful. Boston hopes to have Daniel Theis, who has been efficient towards Embiid up to now, accessible if crucial.
Largely, this can be a probability to maintain the streak going with a high quality highway win. Then it’s a back-to-back towards the Detroit Pistons in Boston on Wednesday to shut issues out earlier than the All-Star break. 10 in a row is in sight, however for now, it’s one in a row towards the 76ers that the Celtics are after.
[ad_2]
Source link
